


Christmassy

by NerdsLikeUs



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Family, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Christmas Fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25765177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdsLikeUs/pseuds/NerdsLikeUs
Summary: All Phil wanted to do was put up Christmas lights to surprise his daughter. Falling off a ladder and onto his mysterious neighbour was not part of the plan.
Relationships: Melinda May & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson/Melinda May
Comments: 10
Kudos: 67





	Christmassy

**Author's Note:**

> This was a Philinda Secret Santa for @travelerontheedge17 on tumblr way back in the innocent times of 2018. I was really happy with it but never got around to posting it here until now. So happy not-Christmas! Hope you enjoy the fluff as we crawl out of our skins in anticipation of the finale.

Phil had never been the most coordinated person in the world, but falling from a ladder and onto another human being is ridiculous even for him.

He’d been hanging Christmas lights on the gutters over the front door. The ladder was not the best, especially not on the uneven concrete path, but he desperately wanted the house to be decorated before Daisy got home from school. The look on her face at seeing the house all decorated and twinkly was worth risking a wobbly ladder.

At least, that was what he had thought before.

Before his neighbour had unexpectedly come by and called hello from directly behind him.

Before he had tried to turn around and the ladder had given one last great wobble.

Before he had lost his footing and fallen onto her, pulling all the meticulously-hung lights with him.

“I am so sorry!” he cried, groaning and rolling to the side. “Are you okay?”

Before the first words he spoke to his beautiful and mysterious neighbour were apologies for crashing onto her from a great height.

She grimaced. “I – I’m fine,” she said. “I was bringing you this – ” she gestured to a parcel that had tumbled from her arms when Phil had tumbled from the sky. “It was delivered to my house by mistake.”

Phil blinked at the package, then squinted at his neighbour. “You’re bleeding.”

“It’s nothing,” she said, wincing as she touched the cut on her shoulder. “I’ll fix it up at home.”

“Don’t be silly,” Phil said, standing and offering her his hand. “Come inside, I’ll … give you a bandaid.”

The woman stood up without the help of his offered hand, but at least gave a hint of a smile. “The extent of your medical knowledge is comforting.”

He gives her a mock offended look. “I’ll have you know my daughter has no issue with my medical knowledge. Although to be fair the worst I’ve ever had to do for her is kiss a bumped knee.”

Inside, he sat her down on a stool at the island bench and dug the first aid kit out of the cupboard.

“Okay, hold still.”

He brushed small strands of her dark hair away from the cut with one hand as the other dabbed on the ointment. He knew it must sting, but she didn’t flinch.

Her skin was smooth under his fingers as he stuck the Captain America bandaid down. It was a strangely intimate thing to do with a stranger – touching her face, brushing fingers over her skin, standing close and breathing the same air. He could feel her eyes on him as he worked, and tried not to blush.

“There,” he said, stepping back and trying not to miss the feel of her skin near hers. “All done.”

“Thanks,” she said, smiling again. It was small, barely there, but he wanted it to stay.

“No thanks necessary,” he said, busying himself with packing up the first aid kit to keep himself from gazing at her like a weirdo. “I fell on you.”

“True,” she said. “You know, you shouldn’t be using an unstable ladder like that. Especially without supervision.”

“I know,” he said ruefully. “But I wanted the lights to be up before my daughter got home from school. It’s …” he hesitated, not wanting to over share, but somehow wanting her to know. “It’s our first Christmas without her mother. I wanted to do it right.”

The woman watched him silently as he closed the cupboard and turned around. He thought it should be awkward, the quiet gaze of a stranger, but it wasn’t.

He shrugged and gave her a sad grin. “But I’m such a klutz, I pulled everything down. No way I’ll get it done now.”

He was halfway back to where she was still sitting when she asked, “Do you want help?”

The question was so unexpected after her prolonged silence that Phil actually tripped on the stool he was about to sit down on.

She raised her eyebrows at him, and the expression was so exasperated and amused and somehow fond that it made him say yes.

“Only – only if you don’t mind,” he added hurriedly.

“I don’t mind,” she said, almost as hurriedly. Her gaze left his as she said, “I’ve spoken to your daughter a little. She sweet and chatty and has helped make me smile when I’ve been feeling … sad, about things. I’d like to return the favour. Help to make her smile.”

Phil’s heart felt full and all he could think to say was, “Daisy certainly is chatty. And sweet. The sweetest girl ever, I think.”

The woman’s eyes were still heavy with the thought of sad days. Phil fought the urge to take her hand.

He cleared his throat and gave her a smile. “And you don’t have somewhere else to be? Something else Christmassy to do?”

She gave a grimace not unlike the one she gave when inspecting her cut shoulder. “I’m not the most _Christmassy_ person.”

Phil grinned. “Well, we’ll see about that.”

She smiled again, and he couldn’t wipe the dorky happiness off of his face at the sight of it.

He offered her his hand again, and this time she took it.

“I’m Phil, by the way,” he said. It’s a slightly awkward and out-of-no-where introduction, but he wanted to know her name and he wanted to keep holding her hand, so he figured it’s the best way to go.

The look in her eyes seemed to say _I know what you’re thinking_. But she didn’t stop smiling, and she didn’t let go of his hand.

“I’m Melinda. Melinda May.”

“Well, Melinda May,” said Phil, tugging her towards the front door, “we’ve got lights to hang.”


End file.
